


Completely Spontaneous

by Syrus07



Category: Groundhog Day - Minchin/Rubin
Genre: Fred and Jeff are best friends and I love them, Missing Day from the loop, Multi, not phil centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-27 00:27:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12070032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syrus07/pseuds/Syrus07
Summary: The Changes: Phil smacked Jeff's ass, didn't kiss Debbie, and waited until lunch to get to the diner. This really didn't effect Phil, but it certainly would've changed Jeff's life...if it had stuck.





	Completely Spontaneous

“I swear he did it!” Jeff shouted, cutting through the noise of the lunch rush at the diner. He waited for everyone’s conversations to start back up before he continued his own and when he did, he bent down even closer to Fred. “Phil Connors smacked my ass during the parade this morning.”

Fred rolled his eyes, “All of the magazines have tons of stories about him being a total lady killer.” He would know, he’d read them all.

Jeff threw a look over his shoulder. Doris seemed to be handling everything by herself, so he slid into the booth across from him. “He could be bi. I figured you of all people would have jumped to that conclusion.”

“If Philip Connors was bi, I would not be looking for a ring for Debbie.” he recited the old joke from back when Fred and Debbie had started dating, but Jeff had a comeback this time.

“You’re not looking for a ring for Debbie.” He raised an eyebrow, “You haven’t gone to a single ring shop in the past year. I know kindergarten teachers don’t make this much money, but I’m sure you can afford something nice.” Whatever Fred made, it was more than what Jeff made. At least, that was his justification for stealing some of his fries. 

He didn’t complain, so Jeff took it as permission to keep going, “Shut up about my future engagement, you’re changing the topic from your non existent chances with a man I technically have dibs on. Besides, don’t you have some sort of plan to make Wilber fall in love with you?”

“That would require my dad knowing a little fact that I don’t want to tell him.”

“That you bet against the Eagles because one of their PR guys broke up with you over text?” Anyone in Punxsutawney that thought Fred Kleiser was an innocent little angel wasn’t his best friend.

He huffed and leaned back in his seat. “I really regret telling you that.”

Fred laughed, “You couldn’t keep a secret from me if you wanted to. We’ve been friends for a decade and in that time you only kept two secrets and I now know both of them.” 

He had a point, but Jeff could be stubborn when challenged. “If I sleep with Phil Connors, I won’t tell you.”

“Yes you will.” Fred got in the last word before Doris called Jeff back to the counter. 

* * *

 

An hour later, the lunch rush was dying down, Debbie was occupying Jeff’s seat from earlier, and Phil Connors was sitting at the counter. He was completely alone and completely available for Jeff to lean over the counter, throwing a glare at Fred as he did it. “Hello, I’m Jeff. Can I help you?”

Phil looked startled at first, looking at Jeff as if he had done something wrong other than what he was being paid to do. “Uh, yeah, I’ll have a slice of your pie and something to fight off the cold.”

A plan started forming in Jeff’s mind. Debbie said that Jonathan said that Phil was staying at the Lancaster’s B’n’B and thought Mrs. L was a saint among women, she couldn’t make a decent cup of coffee to save her life. Phil had to wake up at six am at least to get to Gobbler’s Knob on time and if the bags under his eyes were anything to go by, he hadn’t had nearly enough caffeine. “Any allergies?”

“No?” He gave him another weird look, but Jeff just ignored it. 

Joe’s didn’t have a very good coffee maker, but Jeff had been working there on and off since he was sixteen and he knew how to use it. With a little bit of effort, he could woo the socks off of that weatherman sitting at his counter. A nicely flavored cup of coffee and a slice of Doris’s Graham Cracker Pie fresh out of the oven would more than do the trick, especially when paired with the three best words a server had, “On the house.”

He turned back to bussing tables, pointedly ignoring Fred and Debbie laughing at him. This was going to work, no matter what the happy couple thought.

* * *

 

“Hey, Jeff!”

He almost dropped his notepad. Wilber was supposed to be out working today, not sitting a few stools away from Phil Connors and completely ruining both of Jeff’s running plans. With Wilber sitting there he couldn’t offer Phil a coffee to go a subtly write his number on the label. The deputy might have been a little goofy, but he was perfectly qualified for his position and would probably take over for Jeff’s father once he decided to retire. He’d notice the number in a heartbeat and Jeff wouldn’t put it past him to recognize it too.

“Hey, Wilber. What brings you here this afternoon?” The Wilber Plan™ could be saved though. He’d have to advance it a few steps, but it would be worth it. He smiled at the deputy as leaned over the counter to be closer to him. “I thought you were out with my dad?”

Wilber threw a glance towards the booth still occupied by Fred and Debbie. “The Sheriff let me go early, not much to do with the blizzard. Do you think the diner is going to close up early?”

Jeff was a little startled by the question. “Doris said we might close around four or at least she’ll let me go around then. How come?”

“Just didn’t want you to miss the Groundhog Dinner.” He grabbed a menu and started reading through it, even though Jeff knew for a fact that Wilber ordered the exact same thing every time he came to the diner. 

He brushed it off as just another Wilber thing and tried to hide the smile that always came from having him around. “Alright, call me if you need anything. Mr. Connors,” he turned to the weatherman since he was right there. The turn might have put him a little closer to Phil’s face, but wasn’t that the point. “Are you enjoying your meal?”

“This coffee is incredible.” Phil smiled with his television smile. It was a blinding as the freshly fallen snow outside. “How did you know that I like nutmeg?”

“I’m good at reading people.” Jeff giggled, but his focus was on Wilber in the corner of his eyes. He was no longer reading the menu.

Phil took another sip of the coffee and moaned from the flavor, which Jeff really wasn’t expecting. “And what can you read from me?”

His mouth was barely open to answer before Wilber was standing up. “Jeff, I think I’m ready to order.” 

Wilber had a strange look on his face and refused to meet Jeff’s eyes when he got to him. His fingers were playing with the corner of the menu, something he only did when he was worried about something. 

“What can I get you?”

“I don’t want to eat anything. I just needed you to come over here.” His eyes flicked to Phil before finally meeting Jeff’s, “I have to ask you something.”

Jeff’s heart picked up speed. He was someone who had a plan for everything, but never in a year did he plan for this conversation to happen. “What do you need to ask?”

“Will you go to the Groundhog Dinner with me?”

He didn’t say anything. He just grabbed the front of Wilber’s jacket and dragged him into the counter to do something he had wanted to do since he was fourteen years old.


End file.
